"Chaseable areas" map?

[Stan Olson]

Does anyone use Delorme TopoUSA for finding good chasing terrain areas? I was looking at getting that, but I wanted to hear first hand chaser accounts of the software. Thanks!

Stan

 

[David Schuttler]

??
http://geology.about.com/library/bl/maps/a...kansasmapne.jpg

http://geology.about.com/library/bl/maps/b....htm?once=true&

http://imageatlas.globexplorer.com/ImageAtlas/view.do

 

[Scott Taylor]

Originally posted by Darren Addy
While related, George's question is not the same asked by the original post in this thread, so might be better in its own thread.

In answer to the original question (good horizon views) I can tell you that ALL of Nebraska is excellent for horizon visibility (unless you are in the middle of the 20,000 acres of man-made National Forest -Ponderosa Pines- near Halsey. I'd guess that is probably true for most/all of Kansas also.

Road network is a different question. Most of Nebraska is divided into nice square-mile sections, but once you get to the Sandhills & far west all bets are off.

Darren Addy
Kearney, NE

Well, IMO, good horizon views = 'chaseable areas'. (I'm not saying areas that have less than optimum horizontal viewing aren't chaseable... but you get the idea of the post.) Same thing to me, so I'm very much interested in George's efforts. I think it's a worthwhile venture to put something like this together... we could all contribute AND benefit.

I agree with your assessment of Nebraska. However, the states in tornado alley are pretty much a no-brainer, as far as offering uninhibited storm viewing while chasing (for the most part). I was more interested in a "U.S." map of this sort of thing, catered to chasers/made by chasers, so the terrain/horizontal visibility of less traversed areas outside of tornado alley could be factored into chase planning.

Scott

 

[mikedeason]

Started working on some combined shaded relief and forest cover maps tonight and got quite a few posted that should cover today's moderate risk area. The maps are located at the following URL:

http://www.deasonfamily.net/maps/

My goal is to have coverage of all of the Plains and Midwest before Monday and to have an index image map made sometime later in the week.

The naming convention for the image files is as follows:

LaLaLoLoLo.jpg, where LaLa is the approximate latitude of the upper left hand corner and LoLoLo is the approximate longitude of the upper left hand corner. So, for instance, 38097.jpg would indicate that the approximate location of the upper left hand corner of the panel is approximately 38oN, 97oW. Each panel covers about 4 degrees longitude and 2.5 degrees latitude. The projection used is Equirectangular, datum is WGS84.

For those of you who are GIS savvy and would like to import these into a GIS app, the .prj and .jgw files are included as well. For everyone else, you'll only need the .jpg files.

Hope some of you might find these useful. I'm putting these in the public domain. The only thing I ask is if you use them, do something good for somebody else today.

Regards,

Mike

 

[David Drummond]

Originally posted by Stan Olson
Does anyone use Delorme TopoUSA for finding good chasing terrain areas? I was looking at getting that, but I wanted to hear first hand chaser accounts of the software. Thanks!

Stan

I am putting that into use this year to see how it works out. I only got to do a preliminary run of it when I went to Denver, but I like what I see so far.

 

[Stan Olson]

Originally posted by David Drummond
I am putting that into use this year to see how it works out. I only got to do a preliminary run of it when I went to Denver, but I like what I see so far.

Keep us posted! I wonder if anyone chasing today will be using it? Thanks!

Stan

 

[Mike Peregrine]

I like what I see with DeLorme Topo and will probably be putting it to use soon as well ... has a lot of very helpful features.

This is pretty subjective ... Charles' map probably represents the best areas in most chasers' minds. Though I would probably include some of Iowa in there myself. Being raised on the river in NW Missouri, I will chase here where most chasers will swear it off. Prefer west of the river, but won't be picky if a storm produces east of the river. Some of it comes down to what a person knows, is familiar with and feels comfortable chasing.

 

[David Drummond]

Originally posted by Mike Peregrine
I like what I see with DeLorme Topo and will probably be putting it to use soon as well ... has a lot of very helpful features.

This is pretty subjective ... Charles' map probably represents the best areas in most chasers' minds. Though I would probably include some of Iowa in there myself. Being raised on the river in NW Missouri, I will chase here where most chasers will swear it off. Prefer west of the river, but won't be picky if a storm produces east of the river. Some of it comes down to what a person knows, is familiar with and feels comfortable chasing.

We got into some of Iowa last year Mike and (at least in the places we went) I considered it very chasable, much like north central TX.

 

[Mikel Shively]

I would say that Iowa is a very chasable state. good road networks, and fairly flat!

 

[Jeff Snyder]

One of the criteria used to come up with that map is tornado frequency... Obviously, given a favorable setup, the "chaseable area" extends much beyond what is inferred by the map. For example, I think much of southern Minnesota is very good chase territory, and I'll agree that most of IA is very good as well.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Originally posted by Jeff Snyder
One of the criteria used to come up with that map is tornado frequency... Obviously, given a favorable setup, the \"chaseable area\" extends much beyond what is inferred by the map. For example, I think much of southern Minnesota is very good chase territory, and I'll agree that most of IA is very good as well.

I think I agree with what your saying. A good "chase map" should not factor in severe weather frequency... I think visibility/tree density/elevation change/etc. should be the primary variables. That map is good, however, to get a "feel" for where one might choose to stay within the "Alley", climatologically speaking.